They say the deepest sorrow is a dead heart. That’s exactly how Evelyn feels right now.
She finishes speaking and looks up at Alexander.
He doesn’t understand. She had been waiting for him to come home that day. He told her that morning he would leave work early. They were supposed to have dinner together. She had looked forward to it all day. But he never came back.
His secretary didn’t know where he was. His driver wasn’t with him.
The worry and fear she felt that night. Even now, days later, it’s still so vivid.
Alexander has a hundred reasons to explain himself. A thousand excuses.
But she only thinks of one thing. Did he ever think about her waiting at home? Did he think about his pregnant wife worrying?
He didn’t.
He couldn’t care for her anymore.
Before, when Grace was critically ill and needed a blood transfusion, she had already experienced it once. She could tell herself it was an accident. She could pretend Alexander didn’t know she was pregnant.
She could fool herself once. But she couldn’t fool herself forever.
So she chose to let go.
Does it hurt to let go? Of course. It hurts terribly.
Whenever she thinks about the future, she feels afraid. She won’t wake up next to Alexander anymore. She won’t see him sleeping beside her. When she has nightmares, no one will hold her and comfort her.
But her life is still long. She can’t keep convincing herself that this time will be the last time.
She wants to keep her last bit of dignity. She wants to live the life she truly wants. Even if she isn’t happy in the future, at least she tried.
Before, she had no choice. Her family really needed that ten million dollars. Now she has a choice. She doesn’t want to be held hostage by morality anymore. She doesn’t want to live for other people’s expectations.
Some people might say she’s being hypocritical. They might say she doesn’t know how lucky she is. They might think Alexander is so perfect that others can only dream of him. They might say she doesn’t know how to cherish what she has. They might say she’ll never find a better man than Alexander. That she’ll never live such a good life again.
But those are just other people’s thoughts. She wants to live her own life. Not live inside other people’s heads.
A man can make mistakes. She can forgive.
But that doesn’t mean that if a man makes a mistake and apologizes, she has to forgive him.
It doesn’t mean that because he’s rich and gives her a comfortable life, she should be grateful. That she should cherish him. That she should be obedient. That she should live without principles.
She is a human being. She is completely equal to Alexander. Emotionally, she doesn’t need to grovel. She doesn’t need to compromise. She doesn’t need to hold back.
She is his wife. Not his servant.
So she isn’t being impulsive. She isn’t being emotional. She isn’t being willful. That’s why she’s asking for a divorce now.
It’s because she and Alexander live in different worlds. Their thoughts are different. Their values are different. Their views on marriage are different. If they force themselves to stay together, they won’t be happy. They’ll only have more and more conflicts. In the end, they won’t be able to reconcile.
Alexander looks at Evelyn. For the first time, he feels defeated. He completely underestimated her. She has her own thoughts and opinions. She doesn’t need others to understand her. But she still makes her own decisions and choices.
“Evelyn, I’m sorry.” “It was my fault.”
“All this time, I haven’t understood you enough.” “I haven’t cared for you enough.” “That’s why you feel wronged.” “To be honest, because I didn’t understand, sometimes I didn’t even know what you were upset about.”
“That’s my problem.” “I need to reflect on myself.”
“I also respect your choices and decisions.”
“But I still hope you can give me some time.” “At least let me figure out what happened.” “Let me find a better way to solve this.”
“You’re still recovering from childbirth.” “Don’t get angry.” “We’ll solve things eventually.” “There’s no need to rush.” Alexander looks at Evelyn and speaks softly.
Evelyn just nods lightly. She doesn’t say anything more. She lowers her head and continues eating.
Even though the food has no taste, she still eats. She’s hungry. And being hungry won’t solve anything.
Alexander doesn’t say anything more. No matter what he says now, it sounds like an excuse. It would only make Evelyn angrier.
Just like Victoria said, Evelyn’s mood isn’t stable right now. If he can’t guide her properly, she might develop postpartum depression. That would be even worse for her.
After dinner, Evelyn can’t go for a walk because she’s still recovering. So Alexander watches TV with her for a while.
Evelyn is watching a cartoon. A very old one.
She hugs a pillow and watches intently. Sometimes she laughs.
Alexander looks at her profile. Her quiet, gentle features give off a sweet and comfortable feeling.
This seemingly quiet and introverted girl is actually stubborn. So stubborn that ordinary people can’t understand her. It’s like a small universe hidden inside her tiny body. If he can’t hold on to her, she will drift far away from him.
Like a kite flying in the sky. If he doesn’t pull the string tight enough, the kite will break free and float away.
Until this moment, Alexander realizes something. It wasn’t Evelyn who depended on him all along. It was him who unconsciously depended on her.
When he finally started needing her, she said to him, “I don’t want to live with you anymore.”
In other words, he was abandoned by Evelyn.
This feeling is like many years ago, when Grace broke up with him. He couldn’t accept it then. But this time, it’s even stronger.
Back then, his family was going through changes. He was exhausted from running around. His life was a mess. Then Grace suddenly broke up with him for no reason.
It was like adding insult to injury. That was the best way to describe the blow he suffered.
Now, looking back, he realizes Evelyn was right. If he and Grace had stayed together, they might have broken up eventually. But it wouldn’t have hurt as much.
The reason he still cares so much now is because he once had regrets. Regrets that were never resolved. Not because he still loves her.
Even though Evelyn is young, she sometimes sees things more clearly than he does.
Such a sharp-minded girl. He didn’t cherish her. And now she’s about to leave him.
After a long time, Evelyn notices Alexander staring at her. She turns her head and meets his confused eyes.
“Alexander, if you can’t figure something out, don’t force it.” “Put it down for now.” “Maybe one day, the answer will come to you.” Evelyn says with a smile. As if she has already let go of her bad feelings.
Alexander looks at her gentle, smiling face. Something stirs deep in his heart.
Exchange code: ys82el